Content Contributed by:
Michael Tallarico, MD
Lara Kozloff, MPP, PhD

The human body’s immune system protects us from pathogenic microbes while our bodies are simultaneously host to trillions of microbes, symbionts, and mutualists that are essential to human health. The Gut Microbiome is the “commensal microorganisms that coexist in humans within the small intestine and colon”. The Lymphatic System is a network of tissues and organs, including lymph nodes, that make and store white blood cells to fight infection and disease. Lymphoma is the cancer of the cells of the Lymphatic System. The causes of the majority of lymphomas are widely unknown, but are most likely related to a combination of biological and environmental factors.

By collecting stool samples for the analysis of the Gut Microbiome, the Hoogland Lymphoma Biobank aims to bridge the gap in knowledge by providing an infrastructure linking biologic specimens with clinical and epidemiological data. Samples will be analyzed by the University of Chicago’s Digestive Diseases Research Core Center (DDRCC), which is a part of the Microbiome Center. This research will be employed to enhance our understanding of causation and to improve the prognosis and treatment of lymphoma.